Avian eggs may be used in the production of biologics such as viruses for vaccines, wherein such biologics must be harvested from the eggs at the appropriate time. One method of producing biologics is to use fertilized avian eggs. The desired biologics are grown within the egg and must be harvested therefrom for further processing. One method of producing vaccines, such as influenza vaccines, is to use fertilized avian (chicken) eggs. The eggs are injected with the viruses and, after a sufficient time of incubation to allow the virus to multiply, the eggs are opened or de-capped to harvest the viruses. Harvesting typically involves the collection of the allantoic fluid contained in the allantoic sac of a fertilized egg. The viruses are then separated from the fluid, purified, and inactivated to produce the final vaccine product.
Unfortunately, conventional harvesting systems and methods are not efficient in optimizing and maximizing fluid removal from the opened egg, in part due to the presence of the embryo within the egg. Such inefficiencies may lead to a loss in quantity of the final vaccine product produced.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide an apparatus capable of optimizing the fluid harvesting process and maximizing the volume of fluid removed from the egg. Furthermore, it would be desirable to provide an associated method to optimize the fluid harvesting process and maximize the volume of fluid removed from the egg.